Return your power bank to any HUBO station

Took a power bank at the café by your office, and in the evening you are at the mall or at a restaurant across town? There is no need to go back. A HUBO power bank goes back to any HUBO station, not only the one you took it from.

Here is how returning works, how to find the nearest station, how to check that your rental has ended, and what to do if something is not right.

One network, many places

HUBO stations are in bars, cafés, restaurants, shopping centres, hotels and other venues. The first cities are Plovdiv and Sofia. Every station is part of one network, so it does not matter where you took the power bank or where you leave it.

You do not even have to remember where you took it. The system knows which rental is yours and ends it at whichever station you leave the power bank in.

That makes renting easy in all sorts of situations:

• on a workday: take a power bank at the café in the morning and leave it where you have lunch or dinner;
• at the weekend: charge while you explore the city and return the power bank wherever you stop for a coffee;
• at an event: grab one before the concert or the match and drop it off at a station on your way home;
• as a tourist: no need to head back to the same hotel or restaurant; just leave it wherever is on your way.

You plan your day, not a route back to the power bank.

How to return it, step by step

Returning works the same way at every HUBO station:

1. Find a station. Open the HUBO app and look at the stations on the map.
2. Unplug your phone. Disconnect the cable from your phone before you return the power bank.
3. Put the power bank in a free slot. Slide it in until it clicks into place.
4. Let the station do the rest. It recognises the power bank and the rental ends automatically.
5. Check the app. It shows that the rental has ended, how long it lasted and the amount.

There is nothing else to do when you return it. Once the power bank clicks into the slot, the station takes it from there.

If there is no free slot

If every slot at a station is taken, pick another station on the map in the app. A power bank goes back to any HUBO station, so any station with a free slot does the job.

If the power bank does not click

Take it out and push it back in, all the way. If it still does not click, try another free slot. Do not leave the power bank half in: the rental only ends once the station recognises it.

How to find the nearest station

There are two easy ways:

• the map in the HUBO app: it shows the stations around you;
• the "Locations" page on the website: it has the full, current list of stations.

The map is quickest when you are already out. The "Locations" page is handy when you plan your day in advance.

It helps to check where the stations are along your route before you set off. That way returning becomes part of the trip, not a separate errand.

If you are at a venue but cannot spot the station straight away, ask the staff where it is.

Tips for an easy return

• Mind the opening hours. Stations are inside bars, cafés, shopping centres and hotels, so you can reach them while the venue is open. If you are returning late at night, pick a venue that is still open.
• Return on your way. Choose a station somewhere you are going anyway: the mall, the restaurant for dinner or your hotel.
• Charge while you sit. If you still have a long way to go, plug your phone in while you are at the venue and return the power bank before you leave.
• Do not hand the power bank to the staff. The rental ends when the power bank is in a station slot, not when you leave it at the bar.

How you know the rental has ended

As soon as the station recognises the power bank, the rental ends automatically. The app shows:

• how long the rental lasted;
• the amount to pay.

The receipt arrives in the app and by email. If you cannot find it in your inbox, check your spam folder. It is a good habit to glance at the rental screen before you walk away from the station, so you know everything is in order.

If the rental is still running, see the last section of this article.

Returning when a station is offline

Stations accept power banks even when they are briefly offline. The return is recorded and the rental ends as soon as the station reconnects.

The station records the return the moment the power bank clicks in and sends the data once the connection is back. In that case the app may show the finished rental a little later. There is no need to look for another station: the power bank has been returned and the return time has been recorded.

What it costs and how time is counted

A rental costs €2 per 24 hours, with no start fee. Every started 24-hour period is charged. Within 24 hours you pay €2 whether you return the power bank after half an hour or at the end of the day.

For example: you take a power bank at 10:00 at a café in the centre and return it at 18:00 at a mall, and you pay €2. Where you return it does not affect the price: a station across town costs the same as the one you started from.

You see the price and the rental terms in the app before you take a power bank. After you return it, the app shows the amount for that rental, and the receipt also arrives by email.

When you no longer need the power bank, simply drop it at whichever station you pass. There is no need to plan a special trip.

If the rental does not end

If you have returned the power bank but the app still shows an active rental, do this:

1. Check that the power bank went all the way into the slot and clicked.
2. If the station was offline, wait a little: the rental ends as soon as it reconnects.
3. If the rental is still running, report it in the app. The rental screen has a button for that.
4. You can also write to info@hubo.bg.

In your report, mention which station you left the power bank at and roughly when. That helps us look into it faster.